Closure for containers



Nov. 17, 1942. u -r 2,302,417

CLOSURE FOR'CONIAINERS Filed Feb. s, 1941 INVENIOK ATTORNEY."

Patented Nov. 17, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE FORCONTAINERS Joseph H. Burnet, Glen Ridge, N. J. Application February 8,1941, Serial No. 378,025

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in containers or cans for packinga flowable content for commercial distribution; and the invention hasreference, more particularly, to a can or like container having aclosure unitary therewith, so formed and constructed as to be easilyopened by a tearing action without necessity for use of a can opener orother cutting or piercing instrumentality.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel container having atleast its top end made of sheet metal of truncated conical form and soas to provide, in integral connection therewith, an end closure portionhaving a freely projecting peripheral flange, in connection with whichclosure portion and its flange is provided a separable tearing stripwhich may be easily manipulated, e. g., by a pair of ordinary pliers,pincers or other grip-ping means, to open the closure portion, thusavoiding necessity for the use of any cutting or piercinginstrumentality.

This invention has for another object to provide a sheet metal containertop having a novel form of end closure integral therewith, said endclosure being provided with a separable tearing strip arranged in suchnovel relation thereto that, when torn open or away, not only will thecontainer be opened for the disharge of its content therefrom, but insuch manner as to provide convenient pouring spout means.

This invention has for a further object to provide a novel containerclosure which, after being opened, cannot be restored to its initialcontainer closing relation, and consequently is adapted to render thecontainer non-refillable for distribution use.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be understood from the following detailed descriptionof the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a container having, unitarytherewith, the novel closure means according to this invention; Fig. 2is a top end plan view of the container with the closure means closed;Fig. 3 is a similar top end plan view showing the closure means open;Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view, drawn onan enlarged scale, of the top end portion of the container with theclosure means closed; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, taken online 5-5 in Fig, 1, but drawn on an enlarged scale; Fig. 6 is a top endplan view of the container, drawn on an enlarged scale, and showing theclosure means in process of being opened; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentaryvertical longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 1-1 in Fig. 6.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above describedviews, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawing, the invention is shown therein as embodied inan all metal can comprising a suitably shaped body I0 having bottom II.Secured to the upper open end of the body ID, by a suitable interlockingseam I2, or in any suitable manner, is a top member I3. Said top memberI3 is of hollow truncated conical shape, terminating at its free or topend in an integral closure portion comprising, an end or top wall I4,the marginal portion of which is folded upon itself to provide anunderlying lap portion I5 which joins the conical wall of said topmember, whereby said marginal portion of the end or top wall togetherwith said lap portion I5 provides a freely outwardly projecting annularperipheral flange I6 as a part of the closure means, disposed inexternal overhanging relation to said top member wall. The closure meansthus provided bridges the discharge opening I! of said top member I3which is defined by the upper truncated end portion of the latter, thusnormally closing the same, and since the closure means is integral orcontinuous with said top member, the same likewise provides a 010- sureof hermetical sealing character.

It will thus be seen that the top member and closure means comprises anintegral structure formed from a single piece of sheet metal. Thatportion of the sheet metal piece which forms the closure means is scoredby incised score lines to define a separable strip or section It tooverlie the discharge opening I'I, said strip or section extendingacross the end or top wall I4 and around at least one margin thereof soas to terminate in the underlying lap portion I5. Preferably saidseparable strip or section I8 has its opposite end portions respectivelyextending around diametrically opposite marginal portions of the end ortop wall so as to terminate in the underlyin lap portion I5 at oppositepoints thereof, whereby the strip or section I8 may be wholly torn awayand removed from the closure means. While this is preferable, it willnevertheless be understood, that said strip or section I8 may, ifdesired, be so defined by score lines as to terminate at one side onlyof the closure means and remain anchored or integrally joined with thelatter by its other end, in which case the strip or section I8 may betorn open and folded back to expose the discharge opening II, withoutentirely tearing the whole strip or section I8 away from the closuremeans.

The scoring which defines the separable strip or section I8 comprises, apair of laterally spaced score lines I9 extending across the end or topwall I4 and around the margins thereof so as to join inwardly convergingscore lines 20 formed in the underlying lap portion I5. Said convergingscore lines 20 define a gripping lip portion 2| at one or both ends ofthe separable strip or section l8, which are initially integral with thelip portion 2| but which may be torn away therefrom when opening thecontainer.

After the container body is filled with a desired content, the combinedtop member and closure means is applied to the upper open end of thefilled container and operatively secured thereto, as, e. g., by the seaml2, thus closing and hermetically sealing the container.

When it is desired to open a filled container to discharge the contenttherefrom, the operator grips a lip portion 2! of the closure means andby an applied upward pulling force exerted upon an end of the separablestrip or section l8 tears away the gripped end portion, and thereuponcontinues the tearing action so as to separate the strip or section,either to an extent sufficient to fold the same back and away from itsinitial overlying relation to the discharge opening I! (see Figs. 6 and7), or so as to tear the entire strip or section bodily away from theclosure means (see Fig. 3). If the top member and closure means is madeof relatively soft metal or other material, finger gripping by theoperator may be sufficient to perform the operation. If the top memberand closure means comprises a comparatively tough or resistant metal orthe like, a sufficiently strong gripping of a lip portion 2| may beattained by the use of pliers, pincers or like instrumentality. It willbe understood, however, that in neither case is it necessary to cut orpierce the material, as by use of a can opener or other cutting orpiercing instrumentality.

When the container is opened in the manner described, it will be noticedthat the removal of a lip portion 2! from the lap portion I of theclosure means leaves a V-shaped gap 22 the apex of which is directedtoward and terminates closely adjacent to the margin of the exposeddischarge opening I1, thus providing a very convenient pouring spout fordirecting and confining the discharge stream of the substance, when thelatter is poured from the container. Owing to the fact that the topmember l3 of the container is of truncated conical shape terminating atthe discharge opening ll, said top member provides a very convenientfunnel-like means for directing the content of the container through thedischarge opening and over the pouring spout formation when thecontainer is inverted to discharge its content.

It will be obvious that once the closure means is opened by tearing openor away the separable strip or section [8, the closure is so mutilatedthat it cannot again be closed and sealed, and consequently unauthorizeduse of the container for commercial distribution of a substance cannotbe successfully accomplished by refilling and closing the container.

It will be understood that the body ll] of the container may be made ofsheet metal, or any other suitable sheet material. For example, for usein connection with some kinds of content, the body In may be made ofpaper or similar nonmetallic material, having a bottom end of metal anda metallic top member and closure means; or the body may be made inother ways and of other kinds of materials.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a container, a body closed by a hollow substantially conical topmember having its apex portion mushroomed into a substantially flattenedclosure member integrally unitary therewith, and having a two-ply freelyprojecting marginal flange portion exteriorly overhanging said topmember, and said closure member having a separable section extendingacross the same, with at least one end thereof terminating in the underply of said marginal flange portion, and said section being defined byweakening score lines having terminal portions which meet within thearea of said under ply.

2. In a container, a body closed by a hollow top member of generallyconical shape having its apex portion mushroomed into a substantiallyflattened closure 7 member integrally unitary therewith, whereby saidclosure member is provided with a double freely projecting annularflange exteriorly overhanging the sides of said top member, and saidclosure member having a separable section extending across the same,with its opposite ends terminating in the underside of said annularflange, and said section being defined by laterally spaced weakeningscore lines, terminal portions of said score lines which extend into theunderside of said annular flange converging in meeting relation withinthe confines thereof so as to define removable gripping lip portionstherein and at the ends of said separable section.

3. In a container, a body closed by a hollow top member of suitableshape terminating in a discharge opening, said top member having, as aunitary integral part thereof, a closure means comprising an end wallbridging said discharge opening, marginal portions of said end wallbeing folded upon themselves to provide an underlying lap portion whichjoins the wall of said top member, thereby providing said closure meanswith a freely projecting marginal flange portion overhanging said topmember wall, and said closure means having a separable section extendingacross its end wall above said discharge opening and around a margin ofthe end wall to terminate at one end in said lap portion, said separablesection being defined by weakening score lines.

4. In a container, a body closed by a hollow top member of truncatedgenerally conical shape terminating in a discharge opening, said topmember having, as a unitary integral part thereof, a closure meanscomprising an end wall bridging said discharge opening, the marginalportions of said end wall being folded upon themselves to provide anunderlying lap portion which joins the wall of said top member, therebyproviding said closure means with a freely projecting annular peripheralflange overhanging said top member wall, and said closure means having aseparable section extending across its end wall above said dischargeopening and around opposite marginal portions of the end wall wherebyend portions of said section terminate in said lap portion, said sectionbeing defined by laterally spaced Weakening score lines, terminalportions of said score lines which extend through said lap portionconverging one upon the other to meet adjacent to the margin of saiddischarge opening, whereby to define removable gripping lip portions atthe ends of said separable section.

JOSEPH H. BURNET.

